PM Modi embarks on his first visit to UK

New Delhi: Seeking to strengthen Indo-UK economic ties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today left for Britain to begin his first visit to the country during which he will have a hectic schedule that will start with talks with his British counterpart David Cameron.

"Leaving for UK. I am hopeful this visit will strengthen economic ties between India and UK & bring more investment to India. #makeinindia," he tweeted before starting his three-day visit. After arriving in London this afternoon, he will have talks with Cameron at 10 Downing Street.

He will address a joint press conference at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) after the bilateral talks. A brief stop to pay tributes at the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament Square will be followed by speeches at the Houses of Parliament and then at the Guildhall in the financial hub of London.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Pic/PTI

His talks with Cameron will carry on at the British Prime Minister's country residence of Chequers in Buckinghamshire, where he is being hosted overnight. On Friday, Modi returns London for a CEOs round-table which is likely to include representatives from major British companies like Rolls-Royce and Vodafone.

The pomp and ceremony attached to the visit is expected to include a special tricolour flypast by the Red Arrows Royal Air Force (RAF) Aerobatic Team over Buckingham Palace before the Prime Minister sits down for lunch with Queen Elizabeth II on Friday afternoon before making his way to Wembley Stadium in north London for the mega Diaspora reception.

He leaves for Ankara to attend the G20 summit on Saturday after inaugurating a new statue of 12th century philosopher Basaveshwara as well as a new Ambedkar memorial in London. A visit to the Tata Motors' owned Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) factory in Solihull, in the West Midlands region of England, will be the last item on his UK agenda.

"My visit to UK is the first Prime Ministerial visit in almost a decade. I have had the opportunity to meet Prime Minister David Cameron at various international forums and our meetings have been productive. Prime Minister Cameron is a good friend of India's, and we in India have had the privilege of welcoming him thrice during his first term as Prime Minister," Modi had written in a Facebook post ahead of the visit.